This book was an absolute page-turner. It hardly mattered that it’s written for kids and preteens. It was still very interesting at an older age. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover on a quest to get a lightning bolt back from Hades and get it back to Zeus. All the while, monsters hunt them down and they try to rescue Percy’s mom from the underworld. The characters are very likeable and relatable and this was a nice, quick read that was very enjoyable.

This book was one of the best I have ever read. After four books of buildup, it is finally time for the finale. Follow Qibley one of the smartest dragons who has ever lived as he races against time trying to stop Dark Stalker. You also finally get to see who moon will choose, Winter or Qibley, for love. Finally finished the grappling pot that has been going on for four books.

"The Lost Hero" follows Jason Grace, who wakes up on a bus with no idea who he is and how he ended up there. However, when the group is attacked, Jason soon realizes that things are not as they seem. He, along with Piper and Leo - who insist that they are Jason's friends - are taken to Camp Half-Blood, a place for demigods. The three soon find that they are part of a bigger plan orchestrated by Hera, the queen of the gods, as they embark on a quest to save her from the sinister forces that hold the goddess captive. "The Lost Hero" is the first book in the Heroes of Olympus series, which is a sequel to Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

I have been a fan of Rick Riordan's books for years, and this series is no exception! "The Lost Hero" is a great start to the Heroes of Olympus series and was able to continue Percy's story without feeling redundant or boring. The fast-paced plot not only keeps you guessing but is also easy to follow. Additionally, the characters are phenomenal, with each having their own captivating quirks and personas that bring the story to life. This is especially apparent in the chapters, which switch between Jason, Piper, and Leo's perspectives. Riordan ensures that each character's voice is distinct, and the perspective switch is never confusing. I would recommend "The Lost Hero" to anyone who is a fan YA fantasy adventure books and of the original Percy Jackson series, because you will not want to miss out on Heroes of Olympus!

A Tale of Magic is the first book of a Trilogy and the whole series is a prequel to the Land of Stories series, and it's one of my favorite books in this world. The whole series deeply symbolizes the prejudice that the LGBTQ community has faced, without ever saying it. The allegory uses magic in the place of queer people (even if there are queer characters) and shows multiple toxic masculine characters and values. In one part of the book, the main character, Brystal, is found accidentally conjuring magic and is taken away by the court to a facility where they "convert" the magic out of somebody, even when it is known that you can't take the magic out of somebody. Thankfully, she is saved by Madame Weatherberry, another fairy (or person who practices magic) who is making a school for fairies to learn how to use their magic in a safe environment. There Brystal learns how to channel her magic for good with the other fairies there. Her and the other fairies eventually become more like a family and she realizes that maybe she isn't broken from being magical. The fairies have many adventures and work through inequality and other monsters.

This book is pretty good. As Lucy Carlyle leaves her old job she finds another one in Lockwood and Co. She is a listener that helps fight ghosts. Her job is to listen to the ghost and locate the source. As she joins Lockwood and Co. she doesn’t have to do anything too hard until she discovers a locket and wants to find out what happened to the girl it belonged to. As she dives deeper a shocking truth is unraveled in the most haunted house in Britain, but it might be too late. This book takes you on thrilling ride with lots of action. Although it is a good book, it is not my favorite. It seems to stereotypical and a little repetitive.

After a mysterious accident in which Mr. Green's wife dies, Mr. Green is desperate for a new nanny, being afraid of his children and children in general. However, being the stingy tax lawyer he is, he doesn't put an ad in the paper and merely puts a sign in his front yard. One rainy night, a petite, well dressed pig shows up for the job. At first, Mr. Green has reservations, as one does when hiring a former flying pig (she worked at a circus) but once she told him her hourly rate: 10 cents an hour, his greed overcame his skepticism and his children, Derek, Samantha, and Michael got a new nanny. Soon, it becomes apparent that Nanny Piggins is much more qualified than a human nanny, namely, she can bake extraordinarily good cakes, and disregards trivial things like school. Derek, Samantha, and Michael soon begin to love Nanny Piggins, even through the antics she gets herself into. This book is the first in a series, but you don't have to read them in order, as each chapter is its own story, and with a title like Nanny Piggins, how can you resist reading it?

I would be surprised if you haven't already read this book--not just because it's well-known! If you don't know the classic story of a neglected child turned super-genius, I'm telling you, you're missing out. When least favorite child Matilda teaches herself to read at the age of two, she soon unlocks a whole new realm of possibility. With her parents out of the house at least one day of every week, Matilda is free to go to the library and read whenever. With her new intelligence, she finds creative ways to punish her parents' cruel treatment. But the fun really starts when she starts school. Run by the tyrannic Trunchbull, Matilda has to find a way to help her teacher, Ms. Honey with an even better power than knowledge that she got from books. I would say this book is a must read for kids of all ages!

This book has all the makings of a great book--a sweet plot, magic, and of course, candy. The storyline follows Nate, who moves to a new town and joins a club with three other kids: daredevil Summer, steadfast Trevor, and brainy Pigeon. When the new sweet shop shows up in town, they have no idea how good-or dangerous-the candy could be. Mrs. White, the owner, is the sweet old lady who owns the shop, but is that all she is? Can normal people make candy that lets you leap twelve times as high as you could? Soon, she has recruited the four kids. They do special missions in return for magic candy, but something doesn't feel right. Soon, the kids begin to suspect Mrs. White. However, they might be too late, and how can they expect to fight against magic? This book is full of unexpected twists and is an enjoyable read. The combination of candy and magic is too good to resist. Definitely check it out!

When my mom recommended this book to me, I was skeptical, because I don't read a lot of ghost/horror stories. However, though there are some eerie specters and situations, the overall feel of the book is dry comments and tea parties. This book takes place in an alternate London, where an epidemic has broke out. It's called The Problem, and it is ghosts returning from beyond the grave. There are many agencies that people hire to fight against ghosts using salt and iron. Only children and teenagers can see and hear ghosts, but everyone can die from ghost touch. Some children are born with psychic talents that allow for easier recognition of ghosts, and so can defeat them easier. The series follows Lucy Joan Carlyle, an agent who joins a small company, the smallest in the city, and the ghosts they find, but in the third one, an especially large outbreak plagues London. Every agency is out every night (ghosts don't come out during the day) fighting ghosts and searching for the source of the outbreak. Lucy and her team, charming and fearless Lockwood, the leader of the group, George, a crusty intellectual, and Holly, perfection personified and a new addition to the team, need to find the source. They need to find it quickly, before there are more casualties. Overall, I loved the writing style, as the characters seem real though the circumstances are outlandish and the whole series is definitely worth reading. I personally have read all the books at least twice, and some parts still surprise me!

The Hobbit is a well-known book, widely considered a classic by many people. It takes place in J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional world, Middle-earth, and follows the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who also makes an appearance as a side character in the author's series, The Lord of the Rings. The novel is an adventure in which the wizard Gandalf convinces Bilbo to join him and twelve dwarves in hopes of finally being able to infiltrate their stolen home on Lonely Mountain to reclaim their treasure and take down the dragon Smaug. The group embarks on a journey, traveling to many different places, discovering objects that could help them on their mission, and facing obstacles along the way. It's a complex story with diverse and unique concepts that set it apart from some other novels of a similar genre.
While I enjoyed the story and the world-building, along with its distinctive plot, I wasn't very familiar with the story's writing style, and it was slightly difficult to understand the story at times. Another part that slightly threw me off was the characters' voices and personalities. It was a bit difficult to grasp their individual traits, which is something I tend to look for a lot in stories. Sometimes they seemed to break character or switch between two character tropes, which was a little confusing. However, those points were likely because of my unfamiliarity with the author's writing, as The Hobbit was the first of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books I’ve read. Other than that, the novel was a very good read that I enjoyed, from the world-building to the deeper themes of greed, bravery, and heroism. The contrast between Bilbo around the beginning of the story and around the end shows the character development in Bilbo over the course of the story and contributes to the impact of the story. The events were also written very well, and the adventure was exciting. The mood and tone were also described in a way that strengthened the imagery and made it more vivid. Overall, it was a good read, and I would definitely recommend it for those who enjoy books with a mix of adventure and fantasy with deeper under

There’s a reason The Wonderful Wizard of Oz continues to have cultural influence over 100 years after L. Frank Baum wrote it. Aside from its popular adaptation as a movie in 1939, which earned the story most of its visual representation, the original itself is a solid piece of children’s entertainment. Something about the isekai into a fantasy world coupled with these unique characters has kept a spot in pop culture that’s hard to deny. The world-building itself is likely why others continue to adapt Baum’s work today.

As an adventure, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has great character motivations which accentuate their individual flaws. From Dorothy wanting to return home to the Scarecrow wanting brains, the Tin Man wanting a heart, and the Lion wanting courage, each character has a part to play so that the entire team can achieve their goals. That anyone can find at least one character they can relate to speaks to the universal nature of the cast. To top it off, all of this is accomplished in a format that’s approachable to everyone, including the children it was originally written for.

Even though the strength of this story still stands up today, comparison to the movie version highlights some of its weaknesses. The end seemed to ramble for quite a bit, even if there were interesting concepts introduced that highlighted the fantasy aspects of the story. I can appreciate that it wasn’t framed as just a coma dream like the movie does, which helps to sell the journey as true character development. Overall, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz remains a classic piece of literature and is an easy enough read that everyone should try it.

A great fantasy classic that still holds up, I give The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 4.0 stars out of 5.

The third book in a large series always feels like it doesn’t have the weight of expectations on it and can relax into its own story. It’s far enough from the first book that it doesn’t get as many direct comparisons, but it’s also taking advantage of any feedback from the second book that either worked or didn't. Ozma of Oz isn’t nearly up to the level of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but it pulled enough elements through to make it feel as successful as that first book.

First, Ozma of Oz brought Dorothy back. Her missing presence in The Marvelous Land of Oz left me longing for the reaction of an average human to these fantastic settings and characters. Second, the plot felt much more simple compared to the second book. The singular focus helped bring the characters together for a common goal that didn’t get distracted by introducing too many different ideas and concepts for this world. That they weren’t even in Oz for most of it probably helped, since it didn’t have the burden of tying everything back into that land’s lore.

Of course, even in the areas where it was successful, Ozma of Oz doesn’t quite live up to the strength of the first book. Sure, it has a better antagonist than The Marvelous Land of Oz, but he pales in comparison to the threat of the Wicked Witch of the West. Since her desire to return home did not fuel Dorothy’s adventure, this just feels more like a fun jaunt through a new world instead of a concerted effort to leave. Overall, it still felt like a return to what made the original great.

The return of Dorothy and a simple plot to the Oz series, I give Ozma of Oz 3.5 stars out of 5.

I read this book when I was in middle school, and I loved it then. I think it's a wonderful fantasy read with a story told in multiple points of view. The story follows a girl named Luna, who is raised by a witch, and Antain who is trying to hint the witch. Luna was accidentally fed moonlight by the witch, which gives her magical abilities. As she grows older, Luna struggles to contain and control these powers. I think the story is touching and a makes it a good coming of age book about love and self-discovery.

A fake king, Rhian, has tricked the people of Camelot and taken the throne for himself. Now, he’s sentencing Tedros to death! Agatha barely manages to get out of his clutches, and hides in the School for Good and Evil, but Sophie has fallen into his trap, and must pretend to love him to survive. Sophie and Aggie find secret ways to communicate, and try to return Tedros to the throne before all stories and their friendship is torn apart.

This is my favorite book out of the series. Sophie is GOOD, so why is the prince of evil proposing to her every day? And, of course, he says that because she kissed him, and it brought him back, that it was true loves kiss. She accepts his proposal, and becomes the queen of evil. But she’s still mad at Agatha. Agatha is hiding out in Galvadon with Tedros, her true love, and prince of Camelot. The two are still best friends, but find themselves on opposite sides of a war. Can they survive this with their relationship intact?

Aster and Charlie defeated Mikasi. Now, Charlie made a new friend named April. Trouble is, April is a witch, but she doesn’t know how to control her magic. Aster is finally able to take classes with the witches, but he’s still getting tested differently, so he takes an internship under his grandmother. Together, her and Aster start to drain Mikasi’s bad magic, but it’s taking some time. Now Aster and Charlie have to save April before it’s too late.

Aster is a boy. This is not a problem in itself, but he wants to be a witch. And in his family, girls are witches, and boys are shifters. It’s plain and simple. No exceptions. Aster sneaks around, learning the secrets, and is cast out every time. One day, he goes out, and meets a new friend, Charlie. Later, Aster has to take part in a family ritual where shifters get their animal spirits, and his cousin Sedge is taken in front of his eyes! Together, he and Charlie unearth long buried family secrets, and have to fight an old foe. Can they do it?

Are you a fan of Sonic The Hedgehog and all his awesome friends? Do you like high-speed action adventures? Are you just looking for a good comic book to read while you kick back with an afternoon chili dog? If so, then this is the perfect book for you! The amazing first installment in this action-packed series, writer Ian Flynn wows his readers with the latest escapades of the Blue Blur himself! Set after the story of the new Nintendo Switch release Sonic Forces, the collection follows Sonic as he races around the world following the war with his arch-nemesis Dr. Eggman, who has seemingly disappeared. However, his maniacal machines are still a threat to Green Hill, and Sonic, with his best friends Tails, Amy, and Knuckles, along side Princess Blaze, all must shut them down. Can Sonic solve the mystery that presents itself as events unfold? Featuring pages of magnificent cover art and the debut of a brand new character, this super-powered comic is guaranteed to be a smash hit!

Before receiving what might have been the strangest gift ever, 12-year-old robot enthusiast Alex's life was already plagued enough with bullies and homework. But when he receives a toy robot from his enigmatic grandfather, along with a note that reads "This one is special," a sequence of supernatural events sets off around Alex, and right before things take a deadly turn, Alex's grandfather appears just in time to save his life...and pack him away in an impromptu snowy trip across Europe. As the two begin to unravel the mysteries behind the robot's magic, Alex finds himself becoming the main target of a group of mysterious assassins who follow his every move in the hopes of possessing his robot, and he is forced to battle villains of both human and robot form as he grapples with the immense, monstrous powers of his seemingly innocent toy.

Monstrous Devices is whimsical and unique, and although it is for middle-school aged children, the author is not afraid to add in some chilling, horror-adjacent plot points throughout the story (this novel literally begins with a murder scene...no more on that). While reading this book, I felt as if I was tagging along with Alex and his grandpa as they outwit the assassins; I could hear the robots the assassins used as weapons whizzing and whirring in their deadly attacks, and I could practically see the landscape this book is set in. The bits of history about robots and magic the author added in was also very intriguing, adding a mythical element to the story.

On the other hand, the ending of the book felt somewhat abrupt for me, and there were a lot of questions I had about the characters and the plot that were left unanswered. The lore behind the robot, and even Alex and his grandpa's own backstories, were a little hard to follow, and I ended up somewhat dissatisfied with the lack of conclusions the author gave. The characterizations of the assassins only left more questions, their motives were very unclear, and their eventual fate did not sit quite right with me. I do, however, know that there is a sequel to this book, and I hope that it will tie together some of the unresolved tensions.

In the end, even though it has its flaws, Monstrous Devices remains a magical and entertaining read that young readers will surely enjoy.

If you liked the Hunger Games, you’ll love this book! The book is set in modern day New York, where we first see a teenager named Gregor, and his little sister Boots. They fall through a portal/hole in their laundry room, and that takes them all way down to the Underland, where everything is different. There are giant animals, like bats, cockroaches, and mice! They meet humans, but they’re different from the surface dwellers. Gregor finds out that he is the “warrior” from a prophecy that the underlanders have had for a long time. He now has to navigate a world of fighting, new perspectives and challenges that no one will predict. This is a great book!

I really loved this book, because I love Greek mythology. Percy is a normal kid… except for his ADHD, and dyslexia… and knack for getting in trouble. Soon, after an attack by his teacher, Mrs. Dodds, who turns into a fury, he figures out why. He’s a demigod, and a child of Poseidon at that! Now, he’s thrust into a world he never asked to be a part of, and he’s making a lot of enemies. On top of that, he was chosen for a quest to return Zeus’ missing lightning bolt. He has to fight mythical monsters, bargain with gods, and attempt to make sure his teammates don’t kill him. Percy Jackson and the lightning thief is a great book for a fan of action, mythology or just straight up adventure!

Matilda was one of those books I didn't grow up with. I have no nostalgia for this story, so when I finally got around to listening to the audiobook version, it disappointed me. I know I'm not the intended audience, but what exactly was the lesson being taught here? The main villain was so over the top with her cruelty that I legitimately wondered what Roald Dahl's home life was like when he was growing up. Sure, sticking up for yourself is a great moral, but come on.

I think the biggest issue I had with this book comes down to how they narrated the audiobook. There's the way normal people narrate audiobooks, then there's how people narrate audiobooks for children. The overacting made it difficult to listen to, but not for the reason you'd think. Matilda was such a soft-spoken character that all her lines were whispered. In contrast, all the villainous adults were voiced with shouting. This gave the volume dial on my car whiplash as I kept turning it up to hear what was being said, only to have the narration turn around and blow out my speakers.

As for the plot itself, only one character was likeable. Since everything was from Matilda's point of view, all adults were bumbling buffoons, and all her peers were slobbering idiots. The kind teacher was the only one who gave the precocious child a chance to prove how extremely intelligent she was, but her backstory was so eye-rollingly tragic as to be laughable. Honestly, most of this book felt like I was a witness to child abuse, and that's with its somewhat happy ending.

A too quiet and too loud audiobook about an annoyingly precocious child, I give Matilda 2.0 stars out of 5.

Lockwood & Co. The screaming Staircase is the first book in the Lockwood & Co. series, and I think you will enjoy it.
In this book, ghosts have taken over London. Lockwood & Co. is an agency that helps destroy these ghosts and make London safer for its citizens. The agency contains three agents: Lucy Carlyle, Anthony Lockwood, and George Cubbins. Lockwood and Lucy accidentally set fire to a house on one of their missions and must solve the mystery of the most haunted house in London to pay their debt.
I really like this book, because there is a lot of suspense, and a lot of comedy as well. The story is told in Lucy's perspective, so you really get to discover her inner emotions, and I enjoy that. Lockwood keeps his emotions hidden, but the story really progresses as you discover his backstory. And George is an
amazing comic relief.
Overall, I recommend this book! I hope you like it.

I very much enjoyed this book. As a person who enjoys learning about Ancient Egypt, and strives to be an Archaeologist and/or Egyptologist this book was amazing! I personally love Rick Riordan as an author. I have read all of his Percy Jackson books. I love how he combines ancient civilizations mythology with modern day civilization. I overall enjoyed the two kids who slowly learned who they were and their powers. I think Sadie is my favorite character, I love her rebellious nature but knows (sometimes) when to reign it in. The book was amazing and takes you on a riveting adventure with Sadie, Carter, and Egypt's gods. I would definitely suggest this to anyone who wishes to revel in both mythology and modern day civilization.

At the start of the book, we are introduced to the character Harry Potter. Harry Potter was an orphan who was adopted by an abusive family. We soon discover that Harry Potter is a wizard and is invited to a school for wizards like himself called Hogwarts. During Harry's time at Hogwarts, he learned more about magic and befriended some of the students attending the school. Throughout Harry's time at Hogwarts, he finds out more about how his biological parents died. I picked this book because it is extremely popular, and I've heard a lot of good things about the book. I enjoyed the world-building the most from this book. This book was fairly predictable for me because I've already seen the movies. This is definitely one of the best books I've read this year.

I like this book a lot because of how cute and funny it is. The way this book is written makes it very exciting to read. Link is shown how he can positively interact with any type of living creature. His cute companion Peeko that's been with him since a chick is adorable and such a fun character to have in the book. The way the art is drawn makes the whole thing cuter and more adorable than to how it could have been if it wasn’t drawn in this style.

The second part of the Ocarina of Time is a well drawn and written book. It was interesting seeing all the changes that happened in seven years after Ganon won and got the triforce. There are funny moments in it when Link with a child's mentality and an adult's body confuses people with how he does things. It’s cute when Link meets people and animals he made friends with seven years ago where he remembers it so well. The bonus story with the entirely new character Rouro was an interesting way to see Link help animals/people when it doesn’t involve fighting a monster.

I read this book during middle school and recently reread the series. The book is about a boy named 'Gregor' Gregor falls into a laundry shoot with his sister and finds himself in a new world with a quest. He searches for his dad. He's learns to survive in this new environment picking up new skills and learning this new worlds rules.
I loved the idea of the 'Underland' a world with completely different creatures and how they interact with each other. I loved the story filled with giant animals like bats, rats, and cockroaches. How it goes into detail how Gregor and the people of the Underland get around in the dark. And how the lack of light affects their appearance. The book is very detailed and the well thought through.
The book is definitely worth a read. This book is a part of a 5 book series. Each book provides a new challenge for Gregor. And the last book just leaves you wanting more
Reviewer grade: 11

Harry Potter was an incredibly amusing read, with amiable characters that truly made the story stand out. This novel is a must-read for people of all ages. It has an air of mystery, is captivating, and provides entertainment. The book portrays real-world events in a fantasy world.
The characters, including the main character Harry Potter, are relatable and undergo character development while making mistakes. One of the great features of the novel is how each character has their own unique strengths and weaknesses, and each one has a distinct way of feeling. For instance, Neville Longbottom is a shy boy, but his loyalty to his friends and his house team is unwavering.
Harry Potter is a book that can be enjoyed by all ages, as it accurately portrays the struggles that come with different stages of life. Even though Harry is a wizard, his teenage problems are relatable to those of a typical teenager. As a reader, you can judge the characters in the book based on the tone of the novel. Relationships are also a significant feature of this novel and are portrayed differently depending on the type of relationship. For example, the relationship between a sibling and a friend is distinct but can be differentiated only by the tone or mood portrayed accurately.
This book is an absolutely enchanting experience, overflowing with captivating magical creatures, spells, and enchantments that will undoubtedly keep readers completely engaged. The characters are exceptionally well-crafted and relatable, while the plot moves at a fast pace, leaving the reader on the edge of their seat.
The author's vivid and immersive writing style transports readers into the heart of the story, allowing them to experience it as if it were their own. At Hogwarts, Harry befriends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The trio works together to unravel the mystery surrounding the Sorcerer's Stone. In their quest to counter Voldemort's plan to use the stone to regain his body, Harry and his friends embark on a perilous adventure.
Overall, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a timeless classic that continues to interest and entertain readers of all ages. It is a must-read for anyone who loves fantasy, adventure, and magic. I highly recommend this book to anyone who hasn’t read it yet.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third book in the Harry Potter series. This book is a must read if you enjoyed the previous two books.

Harry Potter, a wizard going into his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has a connection to the escaped serial killer, Sirius Black. Black now is thought to be trying to murder Harry Potter on behalf of Voldemort. Dementors are sent to the campus of Hogwarts in order to keep students safe from Black. Hermione is juggling taking 12 classes and being busier than ever. Her cat is set on killing Ron's sick rat creating tension in the trio. Professor Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, helps Harry cope with the awful affect the dementors seem to have on him. Meanwhile, Harry tries to discover the tie between Black and himself.

I read this book because I was a fan of the previous two books in the series. The characters and setting in this book make it easy to fall in love with. The author uses imagery to make it feel as if you are really there with the characters. This made the book an absolute blast to read. The ending tied everything together and prevented loopholes in the plot. I disliked the ending in the regard that Harry didn't get his happily ever after.